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Monday, August 19, 2013

Jacob's Ladder quilt block

Jacob's Ladder

April 19, 1933-"When pieced in colors of striking color contrast, this pattern gives the impression of a series of ladders-"Jacob's Ladders"-running up and down and across the quilt or diagonally from corner to opposite corner, depending on the arrangement of the pieced blocks" wrote Nancy Cabot in her Chicago Tribune column.

She also says this block dates from "pre-revolutionary days" making it one of the oldest quilt patterns. The blocks can be sewn together "in straight panels or in diamond fashion."

This block is made from 5 four patch blocks and 4 half square triangle blocks. These individual blocks are each 2" finished when making a 6" finished block as I have done. Use your favorite method for making each of the units of this block.

This block can be found in Electric Quilt's BlockBase program as 1695B. There's a video here for making the block using precuts. It makes a 12" finished block.

I made a variation of this block (shown above) before I started this sew along and decided to use it in my sampler quilt instead a making a new block. The difference in my block is the two contrasting squares at the corners of the block. Nancy Cabot's version shows all of the blocks in the four patch units as being from the same fabric.